


Lost Boys: Disorder

by FeatherWhite



Category: Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Lost Boys, Movie: Lost Boys (1987), Other, Santa Carla (Lost Boys), Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 05:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18243395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatherWhite/pseuds/FeatherWhite
Summary: Follow up story to my other fic, Prom Night. Told from Paul's perspective as a pre-movie short story, ties up threads started in Prom Night. Mostly about Paul growing as a character and setting up the characters for how they appear in the movie. 11 chapters in total and finished, sorry I didn't upload by chapter this time but it takes too long.Chapter titles also double as a playlist and appear as follows:Summertime Blues- Eddie CochranPower of Love- Huey Lewis and the NewsJessie's Girl- Rick SpringfieldPsycho Killer- Talking HeadsThere is a Light that Never Goes Out- The SmithsPinhead- The RamonesDisorder- Joy DivisionCatch a Falling Star- Perry ComoMaterial Girl- MadonnaHeroes and Villains- Beach BoysSurrender- Cheap TrickTwo of Us- The Beatles





	Lost Boys: Disorder

Prologue:

The Summertime Blues

There was an ugly amount of truth in summer. A truth that came with its own heat and sunlight and nausea. It started brewing early that spring, when Paul’s best friend, Marko fell in love and their gang burned down a school. The latter crime, which had seemed expertly covered to them, had been ruled as foul play the second firefighters arrived at the scene of the blazing holocaust with the smell of diesel permeating the air like a gasoline spill. It didn’t help the case perhaps, that some of the bodies didn’t burn enough to disguise their identities. When dissection blades are found protruding from major organs on the body of an easily recognizable teenage girl, then there’s more for the people to fear than arson. Then, they believe there’s a serial killer in Santa Carla.

The police tried to nail down suspects or motive but all it amounted to was an early and confused release of school for the summer. No one complained, it seemed in fact that every kid attached to that school was happier to leave it behind for a couple months and face the visage of eternity that summer held. There was a realization though, as any amount of death brings, that nothing would be the same again. It was around that time that the graffiti started showing up too, and the quiet beach town of Santa Carla would then forever be known as “The Murder Capital of the World”.

David took most of the blame for how terribly that night had gone and its lasting effects on the town. It was also the first time Paul and the others had seen why he always acted so nervously around Max. The even-tempered man with the owlish disposition was apparently not someone you wanted to piss off, much less break his hard and fast rules. Max was, in essence, a father type figure to their group and what had once manifested itself as pride at their latest killing, soon took a turn to consequences when accusations were made by the police. Yes, David took the blame because he was the leader, but they all knew the one that was really at fault. It didn’t seem like a coincidence that “Paul” and “problematic” were alliterative.

Somehow though, despite all the fallout and wreckage, Maria started working for Max with the vague contentment of any teenager working their first summer job. Maria was the girl that Marko had fallen madly in love with and had even helped her get the job at Max’s Video Store to boot. She was new to town when they had met her and it surprised no one how quickly she joined onto their group. The ease in which she did so however, the grace in how she accepted bloodshed without batting an eye was her only trait that left anyone discomfited. Or at least, curious.

Maria represented part two of the problems mounting that summer. It wasn’t all bad at first, as she had, in many ways, become the go-between for the boys and Max. She was the neutral party in a great sense, playing the titular “Wendy” to their “Lost Boys” and Max couldn’t hate her for the world. Marko had said it before, her and Max had a mutuality in awkwardness and she had a way of letting her sweetness pull out the better qualities in him. If Max was happy with Maria then he could never be unhappy with the Lost Boys, and none of them were shy to make use of that advantage.     

David seemed to be using that grace most of all though, and the second the heat had died down between him and the video store owner, he was gone. It seemed clear to all of them that after the damages they’d left that spring, that he wanted a break from being the leader, or at least a summer vacation. He’d show up occasionally of course, but he was through with scheming or giving any direction whatsoever. The David that was once quick to hurl warnings and stipulate rules had disappeared with the summer heat, and perhaps that was for the best too.

Now it was late June and it felt like it was every man for himself. One thing was for certain though, Paul was determined to not let that summer go to waste no matter what happened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 1

Power of Love

Paul looked up from the projector screen he had been staring at idly and felt a heavy hand tap his shoulder. Dwayne was sitting next to the him on an old couch that once belonged in the front of their cave’s lobby area. It had, like all of them, seen better days.

“ Hey, Paul, you okay? You look a little lost in thought.” Dark circles ran deep under his eyes, and it was clear he had been sleeping less than he should.

Paul nodded, shaking off any lingering introspection. “Yeah, just thinking,” he grinned. “That’s new, right?”

Dwayne returned the boy’s smile with a faint laugh, taking a drag off his cigarette. “ Don’t hurt yourself, your brain’s not used to being used,” He frowned and threw a glance back at the room’s entrance. “ You want to turn the sound up on the movie?”

Paul nodded again. The painful part about living in a cave was the way sound traveled. No matter how deep you went into the tunnels, or how far you found your way up the elevator shaft, you could always hear what was happening throughout the place. Maybe that was to be blamed instead on the construction of the hotel itself and not the burrows that snaked back from its ruins. If it was poorly built enough to crumble from an earthquake then its entirely possible that sound proofing wasn’t a major point in its structure either.

And, boy, did it need sound proofing. The only reason Paul was with Dwayne to start with was because the regular sleeping quarters were occupied, to say the least. It was one thing for Paul to have to watch a movie with someone he didn’t regularly get along with, it was another to do it out of necessity. There was very little you could do during the day as a vampire anyway, but when you had to crank up movies or music just to drown out the noise of your friend and his girlfriend then that was beyond bad. Paul just wanted to sleep. 

He searched around his area for the remote and came up empty. It was just their luck that they lived in a place big enough that locating a remote would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Or a vampire in a beach town for that matter.

Things could have been worse and Paul knew that. For a while they didn’t even have any electricity much less a means of playing movies. He wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked, the projector and VCR combo with speakers, or even how it was wired. That was Dwayne’s area of expertise. One thing was for sure though, whatever trick you had to pull to rig up a set-up like that in a cave definitely took some work. Work that Dwayne hardly ever got credit for.  

“ Shit, I got nothing. Are you sure you don’t have it?” Paul shot a glance at the dark haired boy who rolled his eyes in retaliation.

“ No, Paul. I don’t have it. You were the one who used the player last.” Dwayne spoke with a languid curtness that could only have come from intense exhaustion or extreme annoyance. Paul couldn’t tell which.

He sighed. “ Don’t give me that, we all use it… or we used to anyway,” Paul ran a finger through his long, blonde hair and felt the hairspray stick against his skin. “ Look you’re not the only who lost a friend, pal. David checks in about as much as Marko does.”

Dwayne shook his head and leaned back against the sofa, its crushed velvet and purple hue looked especially dramatic against his dark complexion. The entire room reeked of cigarette smoke.  

“ At least we know where Marko is.” He said with his eyes on the far side of the room, examining the packed dirt that formed the ceiling and walls.

Paul grinned and it quickly turned into a laugh. “Yeah, we sure do. Isn’t that part of the problem?”

Dwayne looked back at him and caught the joke, a smirk spreading across his face. He sat back up in his seat, the cushions shifting below his weight. Something black caught his eye from the corner of the couch.

“ Hey, we got one problem solved.” Fishing between the cushions, Dwayne pulled out a remote and handed it over to Paul.

Paul snatched it quickly and turned up the volume as loud as he could. “ That’s much better.” He sighed, leaning back, contented for the moment. __You haven’t lived till you’ve heard “Back To the Future” blasted at max volume__ , Paul thought.

Dwayne seemed in much better spirits too, drifting off to sleep on the other side of the couch. He needed sleep, and movies were his favorite white noise. Paul attempted to relax and let his head ease back.

 _ _Since when did vampires have to sleep on couches? since when did vampires have to placate to some teenage girl and her hormones? since when did “Power of Love” only sound good when played quietly?__ Paul’s mind rambled as he tried to sleep.Their lives had become disjointed caricatures of what they once were and he was getting sick of it.

A shout rang out just loud enough to be heard over the film. __At least I never brought my work home with me… or played with my food__ , Paul mused with his head nestled against one of the antique sofa pillows, his later statement catching him with a grin. The irony of Marko’s relationship hadn’t been lost on him, and he was moreover aware of his own reputation. But there was something different now, something he couldn’t place. The word hit him abruptly. __Commitment__.

There were always girls before but they never lasted, and they were never meant to be anything more than sustenance. But, Maria was different. She was human __and__  she served a purpose outside any physical needs or desires. __She’s also insanely cute__. Paul caught himself on that one. He was happy for Marko in a large sense, which was why everything had been going on as it had and for as long as it had, but enough was enough.  

Paul rolled onto his side and heard something fold lightly in his jacket. Peaking open an eye, he yawned, and reached inside the interior pocket. From the light of the projector he could dimly make out a crumpled Polaroid photo, smoothing the creases with his fingers, he deciphered two smiling faces. It was him and his prom date from a couple months ago, the only picture he’d ever seen of himself. __How long has this been in there? I swear I’ve been meaning to cut you out of this picture, you… What was her name again?__

He grunted and tucked the snapshot back into his pocket, closing his eyes. There were always girls before but they never lasted. The girl in the photo was one. Paul had known her for the sum total of a few hours before getting a colorful view of her blood across the walls of some high school classroom. Even still, in the wandering thoughts before sleep, he wondered about her and her family and their wealthy funerals and their wealthy tears. __They’ve probably bought a new daughter by now anyway, they can afford it.__

Maria and her had met. They’d went to school together for a little while before she fell in with their group. Maria was the only one Paul knew of that had made it out alive from that night, and he wondered if that was a mistake too.

Paul opened his eyes and caught the last pieces of the film. _ _If Marty McFly could make things different, maybe I can too__. It was one of those thoughts that only sounded good on the edge of sleep, but the point still remained. David was gone, the rules were out the window, and more importantly, he wanted his room and friend back. He was going to have to make a plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 2

Marko’s Girl

The schemes a person could concoct when functioning on weeks of only sleeping a few hours each day were astounding. Paul thought so anyway, and he was particularly fond of the one he’d created. It required a little too much effort maybe, but he assured himself it was for a good cause. He needed to meet with someone.

“Someone” didn’t fit the bill either. Paul didn’t have to dress up for “someone”, spend time on his hair for “someone”, or get up at dusk for a “someone”. 7 p.m. was dangerously early for a vampire to be out and he wouldn’t have done so without motive. Or, more aptly, a time table. The only upside of hearing noisy sex through the walls on a frequent basis was you became very aware of the participating parties’ schedules.  

Paul ducked his way through the crowds swarming the Santa Carla Boardwalk. Surfers were coming in off the beach as businessmen fresh from work searched desperately for the comfort of a familiar bar. The sun was slipping dramatically behind the horizon, its last rays faint enough to cause the streetlights to turn on one by one. To Paul though, it was bright enough still to be blinding. He was glad he’d saved the aviator sunglasses he’d lifted from the mall that spring.

The route he was taking wasn’t a new one. He could picture the wooden walkways of the pier and narrow streets with his eyes closed. He glanced over at the thinly paved rood and grimaced. A group of teenagers were storming through the lane on their motorcycles, only for their wild ride to be stopped short by a traffic patrolman a few yards up the road. They were a good example of why Paul had chosen to walk that evening. __Kids these days, they’ll never learn. You only ride your bike on this strip at night. No cops then.__ He grinned, running his tongue against his back molars. __And, a better chance of hitting someone.__

Max’s Video Store was a place that only looked decently appealing at night. The darkness had a way of disguising it as something more than a tourist trap and gave it instead an air of hospitality and newness. Even its tacky neon signs could be lit bright enough in the shadows to bounce off a street light and catch the reflection of some rising wave with grandeur. At dusk though, it looked just that. Dusky.

Paul arrived at its open-air entrance and waltzed in without the least bit of hesitation. It was just like Max to leave it open in the summertime. He’d say of course it was a way of bringing in business and keeping the store cool, but Paul knew better. An open door was an open invitation, and vampires always needed to be welcomed in.

Maria was at the counter helping, what appeared to be, a rather difficult customer and was doing so with less grace than one would expect at face value. She was sweet, saccharine maybe, but Paul had seen too much of her to ever believe it was anything more than a defense mechanism.

“ Like I told you, sir, all of the movies __in the store__  are the one’s __available__  to rent. If it’s not __in the store__  then you __cannot__ rent it. We can make a reservation on any film like you’d like to see if you write down your name and number but, if it’s not here, then it is __unavailable__.” Maria’s earrings swayed sharply as she spoke, her soft, Spanish accent cracking with each emphasized word. Paul wasn’t the least bit surprised when he heard her mutter something a little less than friendly in that same language. A benefit of being alive for so long was having the time to learn a few different languages, even if it was only enough to scrape by conversationally… or to swear.

The customer begrudgingly wrote down their information and attempted a protest, but that was prematurely cut short the second Maria noticed Paul. She ushered him over to the counter before any other words could be spoken between her and her patron. It wasn’t till Paul got closer to her that he realized what she was wearing. The high-waisted jeans were normal enough, as were the sneakers, but it didn’t take him long to place the white crop-top.

“ Is that Marko’s shirt?” Paul snorted with a partial laugh. It wasn’t what he had come to ask, much less start the conversation on, but it caught him off-guard in the same way someone would feel seeing a familiar face and realizing they’d got the wrong person.   

Maria obviously hadn’t expected the question right off the bat either. “Umm… yeah. It is. I mean, I couldn’t find my shirt this morning and…” Her voice trailed off and Paul could see her ears getting hot with embarrassment. __Babe, you’re in too deep to be ashamed. You should have tried that act a couple months ago.__

“ Is there anything I can help you with?” Maria said sharply, attempting to break the uncomfortable silence. She pulled a wave of dark, curled hair back behind her ear with a nervous fidget.

Paul grinned. It was the sort of grin that would’ve looked kind, or at least decent, on a normal person. It just made him look sleazy.

“ I don’t see why not. When do you finish for the night?” It was straightforward, like everything Paul said, and seemed oddly peppered with innuendos. Subtlety wasn’t his specialty.  

“ In about a half hour. Why?” What had started as a hint of anxiety rose like a fever in Maria’s tone. Paul had a way of making just about every girl uncomfortable, apparently even if they knew him.

“ Well, it’s kind of hard to talk about here, it’s just,” Paul allowed a faux worry in his voice and started to look down at the ground. “ It’s about Marko.”

Paul was a bad liar, they all were. Spending years without socializing or interacting with mainstream society had a way of leaving its marks. Paul was just glad he’d seen so many movies, he’d never even be semi-believable without their guidance.

Maria was more than a little skeptical. “ What about Marko? He seemed fine to me.” Maria had her hands on the counter at this point and her back slightly up, it was an oddly defensive stance. __I’m sure he did, sweetheart.__  

“ You know how sometimes friends, when they’re really close, will tell each other things? Because, Marko gave me the impression, and I could be wrong here, that he-” Paul’s monologue was cut short by a customer calling to Maria from across the store. Maria had become so engrossed in what Paul was saying that she recoiled at the shout.

“ DO YOU GUY’S HAVE ‘THE GOONIES’ FOR RENT HERE?”

Maria rolled her eyes at the ceiling and returned the shout with a holler. “ I’LL BE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE, SIR!” It was the most polite yell Paul had ever heard, but it was also the first time he’d realized how much the way they acted had influenced her.

“ Look, why don’t I meet you out back in a second,” Maria met Paul’s eyes again, a half-smile on her face. “ That way Max won’t catch you in here either. He’ll be in for his shift soon.”  

Paul smiled back. He felt strange. The emotion he was truly processing was guilt, though he’d not experienced it in such a while that it left a bizarre sensation in the pit of his stomach. “Strange” would be as close as he’d ever want to get to the sensation  of admitting he was wrong.  

***

 

The area behind the video store was one Paul had come to know well. It was the place where Max would leave out videos for him and the other boys after close. Paul smiled halfheartedly. He could remember when they’d sort through the boxes of tapes left for them in that alleyway and argue about the ones to watch. Marko had gotten a black eye once for picking “Flashdance” over “Red Dawn”.

There was something to those fights that Paul missed desperately. When they slugged each other over movies they came out laughing in the end. Now anytime they tried to talk it ended in silence. Marko always drew back from conflict even when he was the one creating it, Paul just never thought he’d draw back from him too.

 _ _David would’ve never let this happen,__  Paul thought with a disgusted clarity. He and David agreed on things about as frequently as the planets aligned. In fact, when the bleach blonde teen had first gone away, Paul was relieved. Even still, with everything that had happened, he was a little happy to have some freedom from whatever David had decided the rules were. But David, for all his craziness, would’ve never let his family become dismantled over some chick. Paul swallowed hard. __Or maybe, that’s what he wanted all along.__

Paul shook the thought from his head and looked out into the alleyway. He was leaning against the old brick wall of some Chinese restaurant next to the video shop. __No matter what, I’m going to change things__. He went over his plan one last time in his head, and smirked. It wasn’t everyday you had to murder your friend’s girlfriend.

He’d gone over it about a dozen times before, but the chill of the early night and tangibility of his scheme gave it a new air of danger. He wasn’t really going to murder her, or so he had justified to himself. Certainly, he was going to take her life but no one would ever know it was him. Paul wasn’t so hasty to risk the peace Maria had created between himself and Max nor was he going to be responsible for taking away his friend’s happiness, Maria was simply just going to go “missing”. __This is the “Murder Capital of the World” now, right?__   _ _People will be going “missing” all the time.__     

The shop’s exit door swung open and slammed hard with a close, forcing Paul’s attention. Maria stood there in front of him now, a bomber jacket newly adorned over her shirt. __Marko’s shirt__. Paul was grinding his teeth but forced a smile. It was time to turn up the charm.

“ Alright, I’m listening. You just barely missed Max by the way, he’d have flipped his shit if he saw you here.” Maria grinned, her rounded face illuminated by the indirect alleyway light. __“Flipped his shit” is definitely a newer addition to your vocabulary.__    

“ I’m sure he would have…” Paul’s voice lingered off and was lost in the low hum of neon and the crashing tide. He met Maria’s eyes intently and moved closer to her.

“ Y-yeah,” She cleared her throat loudly. “ So, what’s going on with Marko that I need to know about?”  

Paul kept moving closer till he towered above her, she couldn’t have been much shorter than Marko. __God, you’re tiny… this is really beneath me.__ Paul stifled a giggle. Even before murdering someone in cold blood, he couldn’t help but crack a pun.

“ Well, you see, Maria. It’s like this, Marko just doesn’t dig you anymore. You know how it is when you’re hundreds of years old and you just get bored of people so quickly. Or, I guess you don’t know.” Paul leaned down and met her height at a demeaning level, his eye’s reflecting coldly against her’s while their faces nearly touched. Her eyes didn’t waver for a second.

“ But you know what he said to me, Maria? He said, ‘ She can always have you, Paul. You’re so nice and caring, why wouldn’t she want you instead?’ And, I started thinking about that.”

As Paul got closer, Maria inched farther away. She seemed to have reached behind herself for something, though Paul assumed it was just another nervous movement.

“ It’s like I can just picture it all in his voice.” Maria responded curtly, catching Paul off guard. __Is that some fight I hear in you? I wonder where you learned that from.__   

Paul shrugged off her defense and craned in closer to her neck. He wasn’t in full attack mode yet, there was a part of him that wanted to savor this idea of Maria actually liking him. Of Maria choosing him over Marko. Of Maria letting him win and then conceding to death. __“Why yes, Paul. I understand. I’d take you any day over your friend. Why, you’re killing me? To what do I owe the honor?”__ Paul snarled at the thought. __Am I jealous?__ It was still too early for him to process that sort of self-honesty.

What happened next Paul couldn’t have prepared for in his wildest dreams. Maria took a step closer to him and… kissed him? __No, this can’t be right. I mean, I’m not complaining but that’s not right. You don’t like Marko afterall? Really? Geez, you must be really sleazy__.

Paul savored the moment, eyes closed, wrapping himself deeper in an ingrained egotism that blacked out any rational thought. But then he heard a voice, and it came to his ears with more force than any wave thrashing against the beach. It said, “ how’s it going, dudes?” and then the tone dropped like a cold-snap in late August. Paul knew Marko’s voice instantaneously.

He opened his eyes in a flurry, glancing desperately to see his friend. But, his eyes didn’t meet the curly-haired boy at first. It didn’t see the burnt-orange shirt folded neatly in his hands with a note that said, “For Maria” scrawled hastily on top. It didn’t see the look of fear and worry and disappointment and all around confusion in his eyes. What met Paul’s gaze instead was the pointed edge of sharpened wooden stake held tightly a breath before his nose. On the other end of it was Maria, a look that’d make a hellhound wince plastered across her face like cheap wallpaper. Paul, for the first time in his life, was almost prey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 3

Psycho Killer

“ What the hell, Maria?! You could’ve killed me!” Paul fell back onto the ground below, reacting quickly to try and get away from the weapon Maria was holding. The overhanging metal length of his belt clattered noisily against the pavement, complimented by the sound of his rings scraping the asphalt as well as his knuckles. He was wearing far too much jewelry to die in.  

“ Uh, excuse me!”, Maria bellowed. “ You were going to kill __me__!”

She now stood above the tall, gangly blonde, who was clamoring to back away with each step she took. Marko took a step between them.

“ Okay, okay, dudes. Can someone please explain to me what’s happening. I’m majorly confused.” Marko spoke like he was hyperventilating, an incredible feet for someone who didn’t need air to breathe. The earlier sounds of traffic and crowds had dwindled into a dull roar as the night grew darker. It occurred to Paul in the light between buildings that Marko wasn’t wearing a shirt, only his jacket over a bare chest. __Is that crop top really all you own, man?__

“ Wow, dude,” Paul parroted in Marko’s tone. “ That’s like a major surprise.”

Maria snapped her gaze to Paul and gritted her teeth. “ I’ll tell you what’s going on, Marko. Your friend here is a psychotic idiot who tried to kill me over God knows what!”

“ Oh please,” Paul jumped to his feet in a flash, now leaning past Marko to get a good look at Maria. “ Didn’t you used to be nice or something, babe? Besides, you know why. Don’t act so innocent.”

“ Wait, hold up,” Marko turned to face Paul, a look of pure disappointment on his face. “ You actually tried to kill her? Was that what all that was?”

Paul swallowed and looked at the ground. What could he say to Marko? How could he explain what he was thinking to his friend? __Well, this has gone great.__

“ Yes, that’s what I was saying. He got into that creepy, ‘push you against a wall and rip your throat out’ type mode that you described, Marko. Remind me why exactly you two are friends?” Maria was gesturing wildly with her hands as she spoke, which conveyed a great deal more meaning with the stake still in her grasp. Paul and Marko had backed up quite a ways.

“ Bro,” Marko confronted his friend, his eyes already glossy with emotion. “ We’ve been friends for years. Why would you do something so-so… bogus?”

Paul didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t remember the last time he was at a loss for words. __It was bad, you’re right. It was bad and I was bad and… to hell with it. This isn’t my fault. Marko, you started this. You started this when you let Maria live. She wasn’t supposed to. None of this was supposed to happen.__ Paul’s instincts kicked in from there, and every pinch of passive aggressive defense came spilling out at once.

“ Because she doesn’t belong here, Marko,” Paul never meant to yell. “ She doesn’t belong and now she’s in too deep and you don’t even care about anyone else anymore. There’s no reason for you to be with her, it’s unnatural, and Dwayne and I are both paying the price for it,” Paul moved from shouting just at Marko to addressing both him and Maria. “Every fucking day you two! Do you have any idea what it’s like having to listen to you bang each other through the walls day in and day out?!”

Paul paused, his muscles felt like they were heaving and his face burned with anger. He should have stopped right then and there, he’d already said to much, but he couldn’t control himself.  

“ And, that’s another thing. Did you notice she tried to kill me too? Where the hell did she even get a stake?! She could’ve taken my face off with a damn toothpick!”

Paul let the dust of what he’d said settle and he straightened his back up like a man triumphant. He didn’t feel good really, but he felt better. __It’s just like ripping off a band-aid. Now the wound can heal… the gushing, hot, red wound that smells like… God, I’m hungry.__

Paul expected tears and upset. What he got was laughter. Loads and loads of laughter. Marko and Maria were falling over each other in hysterics. __This is it, I broke them. They’re out of their minds.__

“ Wait- wait, you thought we were,” Maria couldn’t finish talking, she was giggling madly.

“ You mean, you thought that all that screaming was us?” Marko was nearly on the ground laughing, he couldn’t even open his eyes.

Paul was shocked. Beyond shocked. He was appalled. What the hell had he missed these last couple months? Their laughter only made him feel more impatient.

Maria caught her breath slowly and returned the weapon back into her coat pocket with a grin. “ Paul, you’re not the only one here who knows a thing or two about death. Between your group and Max, I’ve picked up a couple tricks too.”

The couple stood together now proudly, supporting each other as the last of their laughter fluttered off into silence. Paul couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Or what he thought he was hearing. He suddenly felt sick.

“ You’re not saying- the screaming was people? You’ve been killing- oh, God,” Paul met Marko’s eyes and then Maria’s. “ Are you serious? But Maria you’re-”

“ Human? Yeah, Paul, I am. But he’s not,” She smiled warmly at the short, dirty-blonde haired boy, taking his hand. “ And, you wouldn’t believe the effect you’ve all had on me. When I saw what you did at that prom, everything changed. I knew I had to do what you do. Besides, he’s gotta eat, right?”

Paul’s posture had gone slack from when he’d addressed them previously. Whatever confidence or fury that had rattled through him earlier was replaced with a creeping sensation of dread. __Maria, the nice girl from ‘oh, north of here’. Maria, the air-headed sweetheart with curves and curls. Maria, the serial-killer.__ Paul had a headache.

“ That’s it then? You’ve been what, teaching her how to hunt like, like one of us,” Paul was frantically gesturing towards Marko, as if he was physically attempting to take hold of the argument and twist it into something he could understand. “ No offense, dude, but do you actually realize how fucked up that is?”    

“ Well, I didn’t really teach her that much. It was mostly Max I think, you know how he is. I guess he sees her as one of his kids too, just teaching her like how he did with us,” Marko beamed at Maria, their backs against the open-end of the alleyway. “ I did warn her about uh, how you can act-up sometimes though.”  

Paul had his hands on the back of his head, slowly ruffling up his expertly styled mullet in frustration. He was glad they were in such a sectioned off area back from the main road. He couldn’t have imagined how their conversation would have sounded in passing.

“ So what, you just told her to stab me to death in case of emergency,” Paul was physically quaking at this point. “ And-and, what about the kissing? I guess you just told her, ‘If he ever tries to kill you, just pretend you’re attracted to him. That’ll totally catch him off guard’!”

Maria threw her head to the side. “ Actually, I improvised that. You’re welcome.”

Marko took back hold of the conversation in a flash. Paul couldn’t tell if Marko’s face was turning red or if it was just the lighting. “ I would never tell her to do that, dude. That’d be totally lame, lame like you killing Maria would be,” Marko frowned, and held his girlfriend’s hand tighter. “ Nah, I just wanted her to be able to defend herself I guess, so she could just scare you and then you’d back off. I sorta mentioned that stakes are your like biggest death fear.”

“ Yeah, and you hate holy water the most right, babe?” Maria nodded to Marko with the same self-supposed knowledge of a girl scout performing an amputation after just earning their first-aid patch.

“ I never liked silver, personally.” A voice piped up from the shadows against the brick wall of the opposite building. A tiny light flickered and then cigarette smoke could be smelt almost immediately. The tanned, muscular boy emerged from the darkness, frowning at the group before him. He wasn’t wearing a shirt either but Paul knew that was normal.

“ What the- am I losing my mind? Dwayne, how long have you been there?” Paul jumped back against the wall of the video store as Dwayne took the spot next to him.

“ Long enough to hear the pettiest argument I’ve witnessed in my life, which is really saying something,” A cigarette hung loosely from his mouth as he spoke, making him look somehow more drowsy than he already was. “ But, hopefully you idiots can put your differences and homicidal tendencies aside for a second because I need you to come with me. We have to go to the Boardwalk right now.”

No one in the group knew how to respond. There was a lingering residue of tension in the air as is the result of most disputes. A sort of tangible presence of unsaid words and emotions that would have to mount for a later time. And, they would have to, because for all the group’s differences they could agree on one thing; when one of their own needed them, they went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 4

There is a Light that Never Goes Out

The Santa Carla Boardwalk had a culture and life all its own. It lived calliope music and breathed bright lights. It pumped teenagers and tourists through its rides and attractions like an aorta cycling blood through the veins. To Paul, it smelled like vomit covered only moderately by the cloying aroma of funnel cake. __We’re home, boys.__

Somewhere in the span between disclosing their hellish secrets in an alleyway and stepping into the colorful vibrancy of the Boardwalk, Marko and Maria had managed to exchange shirts. Marko was back in his usual croptop and Maria had evidently slipped on the orange slouch shirt he’d brought for her. Needless to say, Paul was a little disappointed he’d missed it. Not that he was particularly fond of Maria now, but a topless chick was still a topless chick. He wasn’t one to discriminate in that field.

“ So Dwayne, what exactly caused the emergency here? Was it the cotton candy vendor or the ticket salesmen?” Paul made a face at the solemn boy, still smoking his cigarette passively. Dwayne didn’t even try to meet his eyes, much less return the joke.

Paul cleared his throat and began spinning the rings on his fingers anxiously. __You’re just full of laughs tonight, aren’t you, big guy? By the way, thanks for your help earlier. So glad you called me an idiot over something I thought we agreed on.__

Dwayne glared at him, as if he could hear his thoughts, and spoke in a low whisper. “ You know, you, Marko and Maria,” It was clear he was trying not to get the attention of the aforementioned couple, following not far behind. “ You’re all wrong for the record.”

“ Thanks for your input.” Paul snarled, weaving his way next to Dwayne through the crowds.

“ No, what I mean is,” Dwayne was holding his cigarette now, biting his lower lip as he often did when trying to think. “ They were wrong for being loud and stupid and honestly, Maria’s probably going to get caught by the cops soon if she keeps up trying to find fresh blood for Marko. But, my point is, you were also wrong for being impulsive and trying to kill your friend’s babe. I mean, he’s fully capable of doing that on his own.”

Paul forced a laugh and rolled his eyes. It was when he did stuff like that, that no one could forget he was the youngest. “ I’m sorry, but weren’t you getting a little fed-up too? Last I checked I wasn’t the only one losing sleep over our resident lunatics and their little forays into anatomy,” Paul grinned deviously. “Whether that be in terms of dissection or exploration.”

Dwayne snorted at that comment and let out a sigh. “ They’re not what I’ve been losing sleep over. Not really,” He turned back to the blonde, who clattered as he walked from wearing too many chains around his belt loops. “Look dude, all I’m saying is, try talking to him. Alone. Without yelling. Or saying shit like that.”

Paul shrugged and drew closer to Dwayne as they walked, so as not to get lost in the foot traffic. __You think I haven’t tried that, bud? Besides, it’s not like Marko’s going to really want to talk to me now anyway.__   _ _Not after all that.__

They were nearing the other side of the Boardwalk now and coming to a stretch where you could see the pier overlooking the beach. The sky looked bigger somehow, bloated with stars and the silhouette of the ferris wheel.

“ Hey, so what are we looking for, Dwayne? You seemed pretty urgent back there.” Maria had drawn into her boyfriend’s jacket, each with a side over their shoulder to keep warm beneath. The two moved as one unit.    

He stopped suddenly and looked out onto the beach, squinting at the end of the pier. “ It’s amazing the things you find when looking for a replacement bulb for your movie projector,” He grunted. “ I found our very own prodigal son. When he tried to ignore me and run off, I knew I needed some back up.”

“ Are you talking about David,” Marko arched his eyebrows, stepping forward slightly from Maria. “ Did you find him?”

Dwayne looked at Marko over his shoulder an then back forward. He began walking down the steps off the Boardwalk and onto the soft, Pacific beach, eyes set on the old pier. “ Yeah, and I think I just found him again.”

***

The soft boards of the antique dock, creaked silently underfoot as roaring waves pounded the rocks that stood watch over the bay like giants. A silhouette sat contentedly at the end of the long pier, close to the water’s edge. Fringes of black fabric could be seen billowing in the wind off the figure, caught only by brief illuminations from the moon and the rows of streetlamps lining the stretch. It was unbelievably foggy that night and the humidity left a sheen on the wooden planks. Paul’s mullet was getting frizzy.

Dwayne was moving swiftly to the end of the pier, silent as the grave, as he often got when focused on something. Paul was feeling more than a little apprehensive. Between the water that they couldn’t touch so close by and the fact that the last time he’d seen David was under such negative circumstances, the blonde was remembering what extreme nausea must have felt like. And, he was thinking about Maria.

__If that is David, if Dwayne really found that son of a bitch, after this entire little ‘disappearing act of his’, shit’s going to get ugly. Besides, isn’t this a family matter? Shouldn’t this be between us and not her? I guess her and Marko come as one set now._ _

Paul almost tripped on the slick board walkway, and caught himself. Dwayne was moving fast, moving like a man hellbent on some glorious conquest, and Paul could barely keep up. The mist was thinning now and the silhouette was still perched near the water, until it moved. It moved and turned and suddenly it looked as if there were two instead of one. Paul blinked, trying to decipher the dark figures.   

Moving closer revealed the truth, they had met the end of the dock and their goal. It was David alright. His broad shoulders cutting through the mist, and the black of his overcoat setting himself apart from it. He was sitting on the edge of the pier, legs hanging over the side, just a hair above the water that could deal irreparable harm to his flesh. By his side was someone new. Another someone that Paul knew didn’t belong. Another girl.

“ Bravo, boys. I was wondering when you’d find me.” David had one arm around the girl that sat at his side, while the other reached for a cigarette in his coat pocket.

She turned around and faced their group, eyes full of curiosity and wonder. She had dark hair that bounded with curls, framing her soft face with an ethereal beauty. A black jacket adorned liberally with fringe hung tightly around her shoulders, its strands blowing gently in the ocean breeze. __I swear if Dwayne finds a girl like this too I’m gonna lose it.__

“ I didn’t know it had to be a scavenger hunt,” Dwayne flicked the remains of his cigarette into the water which Paul could hear Marko silently protesting against. “ Where the hell have you been?”

David chuckled. It was a low, plotting chuckle that Paul had come to equally disdain and miss. “ Already you want to talk about me and you haven’t even noticed that there’s a lady present,” Maria’s ears pricked up, hoping for an acknowledgement she wouldn’t receive. David stood and faced the four of them, helping the girl to her feet as well. “ Boys, I’d like you to meet Star.”

Dwayne recoiled instantly and Paul felt at a complete loss. Marko didn’t seem to be paying attention. __Here we go again. Maybe you should talk to him Dwayne, like you told me to talk to Marko. Enjoying it, Dwayne? Now you know how it feels to be sold out for someone else.__  

“ And, me. I’m not really one of the boys.” Maria smiled absently and waved at David and Star. Whatever part of Paul disliked her before had just grown. __It must be really hard for you and Marko, having only one brain between the two of you.__

“ Do I know you?” David responded curtly. Paul almost choked laughing, he had missed David’s sarcasm. Dwayne on the other hand though, he looked like he was ready to strangle a boa constrictor and win.  

Maria frowned, her sass regained. “ Yeah, you called me a cold-hearted bitch once, David.”

Star jumped at that and looked at David in shock. Paul continued laughing. __Was he wrong, babe?__   

David smiled. “ It’s nice to see you too, Maria. How have you been enjoying your new home away from home? I remember that cave having __amazing__ acoustics.”

“ Lay off, man!” Marko stepped forward, closer to their leader. He wasn’t normally one to yell.

“ Easy there, Marko. I’m just making conversation. Since when were you the protective sort?” David sneered at the smaller boy who retreated back next to his girlfriend, taking her by the arm.

“ Probably since I tried to kill his girlfriend. You were absolutely prophetic about that ‘ cold-hearted bitch’ thing, David” Paul was giggling between breaths, smiling with a passive-aggressive anger. “ Though I can’t imagine this week’s model is going to be much better.” His eyes darted to Star and the girl drew closer to David.

“ And, there’s the Paul I remember. You waited a while to talk there, I thought you were losing your touch.” David and Paul glared at each other, the latter snorted, once again rolling his eyes. Everyone was angry now, imaginary daggers poised at each person on that dock from what once used to be their closest friends. Their leader had truly worked his magic.

“ Just shutup, all of you. You’re all so petty, you’re missing the point,” Dwayne stood squarely now between them all, veins bulging on his neck. “ David, you left us for months on end without any explanation to do what, pursue this girl you met at the prom? Meanwhile, you let these two idiots run amok of our home forcing this idiot to try and take action. You know what happens when Paul tries to fix things!” Paul, Marko and Maria all spoke up in protest but were quickly cut off again by Dwayne.

“ Look, you may not be responsible for what other people do but you are our leader and more importantly,” Dwayne exhaled heavily. “ We’re your family.”

Star took a deep step back and almost met the end of the dock. “ David, please explain what’s happening.” It was the first words any of them had heard her speak that night. Her tone showed more curiosity in it than apprehension.

David took her hand, meeting her gaze placidly before addressing the group. “ Dwayne, you’re right as always. I’ve been away too long, I think Star should see where we live. She deserves to know more about us.”

Dwayne crossed his arms but obliged in a quiet nervousness. Marko was biting his nails, a thousand yard stare on his face. Maria seemed excited but Paul knew what that tone in David’s voice meant. He had known him too long to not see the calm before the storm.   

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 5

Pinhead

Whoever had left the cave last had kept the fires burning in their barrels and the lanterns lit. The light refracted with a gleam off both the chandelier that slept in the middle of the room and the various ornaments fallen at its feet. The cave looked more like a hotel in that moment than it had in years, all lit up like a New Year’s Eve party. To Paul, it looked like more of a fire hazard than anything else.

For a place that appeared somehow so warm and inviting, there was an air of hostility palpable to nearly everyone. Maria and Marko still clung to each other like spiders on a glue trap, and Paul couldn’t begin to fathom why she hadn’t gone home. __Don’t you have parents or something?__

David held his arms out, standing in the center of room and looking at Star with grandeur. He was in fine form. “ Welcome to our home. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“ Yes,” Star paused, she was standing next to Dwayne and close to the chandelier, her eyes were filled with light. “ David, I just don’t understand. What’s going on here?”

He smiled and stepped down next to her. Paul had already found an old, purple club chair towards the outer parts of the room and chose to settle in. He stared at them from a comfortable distance, biting his nails with anxiety.

“ Whatever you like, Star. Here, anything you wish for can come true. If you stay with us, you’ll never grow old. You’ll never die here, Star,” David looked like he was salivating. “ Do you understand that?”

Paul wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh or cry or have some reaction to what he was watching. He’d seen it all before. The last time David had rehearsed those lines was to him. Years ago, right before he was turned. __Run, Star. Get out of here and never come back.__

Dwayne watched in horror as David spoke and soon withdrew close to Paul. Marko and Maria were out of sight too. Everyone knew what was happening and they were all too numb to fight it. It was something innate in them, something that wanted to argue and battle David’s will, but they couldn’t. He had been chosen by the head vampire to be their leader, to make the calls and plans and they were helpless to that. They argued, sure they always argued, but sometimes there was nothing they could to change David’s mind and it wasn’t ever worth it to. It had been a day of fighting and disagreement, and Paul was done. His lack of sleep had finally caught up with him. Now he wanted a break.       

David and Star talked in hushed voices, right there in front of them all and a decision was soon made. Paul looked away as soon as he saw David reach for it. A bottle. A bottle covered in stupid metal work and jewels that looked like they’d been slapped on by a grade schooler. David had mentioned before how elegant he thought it was. Paul thought Marko had decorated it in his spare time. Red liquid sloshed inside its glass casing, an acrid odor wafting from its contents.

“ Drink it, Star, and you’ll be one of us.” David grinned at her, his gloved hands passing the bottle her way. They all knew why he’d said it so loud too, he wanted their participation. His gaze caught Dwayne’s quickly and he nodded. __Fuck this tradition.__

It started low and dreamlike and grew until it filled the room. Star Star Star. It sounded like a hundred voices chanting her name. Star Star Star. She raised the bottle to her lips. Star Star Star. She drank. The room filled with clapping that would have sounded half-hearted to anyone not caught up in the moment. Paul couldn’t feel anything more than his rings hitting each other as he clapped. __Welcome to our club.__   _ _Now have fun being stuck with David for the rest of your life. No, in case you’re wondering, you’ll never get used to it.__

She crumbled to the floor in an instant, coughing and choking and wheezing. David just continued to smile. Paul couldn’t see Marko and Maria, but he was sure the resident psychos were enjoying the show. Paul was beyond grateful Maria hadn’t been turned too.

David scooped Star up in his arms like an infant, allowing her to lean into him as she struggled. From where Paul was sitting she looked like a mess of white fabric and black curls. Judging by how she was dressed, Paul knew she’d have no problem fitting in with their style. Her skirt already matched the curtains.  

Paul frowned at the couple, and turned to the boy at his side. Another cigarette had materialized in his mouth, and his hands were shaking violently. They each had their own ticks when it came to stress.

“ So you said that they met at prom? I thought Maria was the only one that made it out of that damn thing alive.” Resting his back on the side of the chair, Paul continued biting his nails.

Dwayne shrugged. “ Yep, I met her when I was ditching a body. They’d been talking outside next to the dumpsters,” He shook his head. “ It stuck out because I’d never seen him look so… so- well I didn’t think it’d ever amount to much anyway.”

Paul could tell Dwayne was upset when he’d lost his words. He didn’t have the courage to say “in love”. In love was exactly what David was and Marko too, and Paul and Dwayne were alone.

David and Star had left the room now and likely went to go find another, presumably just as the other couple had done earlier. Paul slipped a hand over his eyes and re-adjusted positions again in his seat. He now had his legs slumped over one arm of the chair and his head resting against another. Trophy wives with fainting spells had nothing on his look in that moment. He peaked at Dwayne between his fingers.

“ Hey, do you have another one of those?” Paul pointed at the cigarette.

Dwayne exhaled through his nose and looked at the younger boy in confusion. “ I thought you didn’t smoke.”

Paul shrugged in response as Dwayne pulled another smoke out of his pocket, handing the blonde both the cigarette and its lighter.

“ Now I do.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 6

Disorder

It had been weeks since Star had been turned and, as life goes, time marched on. The Summer wore into its dog days with everyone settling into their rhythm of disconnected connectivity. Marko was still as physically present and mentally gone as he ever was, taking the move in of the new couple as an out for him. David and him had in a sense, switched roles when it came to seeing them. Marko and Maria were out and David and Star were in. At least, they were much quieter.

Paul and Dwayne become close. Not a closeness ever meant to have come from likes or dislikes, but sheer mutuality. Their friends were gone. Gone like they never had been before, and the hope of them returning had been dismissed as well. Now the two had formed a friendship, going out late and walking on the beach to get away and smoke and talk. Smoking was another thing their friendship had formed over. It was a way to hide the nerves. It hid Paul’s nail biting and Dwayne’s shaky hands.

Cigarettes didn’t cut it soon enough for the blonde though. His nails were worn back down in a few days or so and his eyes looked sunken and hollow. The reason he was always the comedian of the group was because he could assess things on a very personal level. You can’t make a joke so cutting without first knowing how deep your cuts were. He hadn’t smoked weed since the 60s, but it did the trick. Or maybe, it did the trick only because he thought it did. Truthfully, they were dead and the actual effects something could have on a system after death should be minimal if not nonexistent. But, to Paul, it helped and he needed help right then.

“ Y’know, you’re a lot more relaxed now, and a hell of a lot easier to talk to.” Dwayne looked at the ground as he walked, ignoring Paul to his left but addressing him all the same. His boots cut the sand that had filled in the cracks on the cobblestone road. The wind was low and cool, blowing little specks of the sand from the nearby beach into their path. The sand looked like stars do from far away, catching the light in tiny pinpricks.  

Paul grinned back at the boy, balancing along the stone side guard next to the pathway, arms out. The metal rings on his belt caught the breeze and jingled as his shoes made a dull scraping sound on the rocky path beneath. There were a group of teenagers on the beach next to him, a bonfire warming them close to the cold waves. Paul thought placidly of murder.   

“ Well, when I don’t know what I’m saying, it’s a hell of a lot easier to talk.” Paul chuckled, missing a half-step in his balancing act and nearly falling. He caught himself quickly enough, regaining his walk, though not before the wind could steal the ends of his jacket. His coat tails, tossed by the breeze, pulled him to one side almost making him lose his overcoat. Something small and crumpled fell from his pocket and fluttered in the wind as he recovered his posture once again with finality. Dwayne caught the object in his free-hand, bringing the other up to place a cigarette in his mouth. He recognized the photo immediately.

“ Hey, this is of you and your date from prom, isn’t it,” Dwayne puffed out a breath of gray smoke, his gaze unwavering from the picture. “ Why do you still have this?”

Paul jumped down from the side guard and began walking next to his friend, face close to the snapshot. “ Oh yeah, that’s us alright. Don’t even remember her name.”

Paul looked away from it in an instant and took a seat on the path he had been walking on. He hadn’t answered Dwayne’s question intentionally. He felt pensive and tried to loosen his shoulders, bringing a hand to his face. __Am I really biting my nails again?__

Dwayne grunted and took a seat next to him, holding the picture between his index finger and thumb. “ Her name was Christine, numbskull. I only met her once and I remember that.”

The dark haired boy passed the photograph back to his friend. Paul snatched it and tucked it back away in the interior pocket of his jacket. He cleared his throat and turned to look again at the teenagers on the beach. __Am I actually hungry or just upset?__

“ Hey, what’s up? You seem a little more,” Dwayne coughed, searching for the word. “ Contemplative, than normal.” They should have never got him that Thesaurus for Christmas.

“ I don’t like it when you say her name.” Paul was back on his hand-rolled smoke in a second, still refusing to maintain eye contact. He wasn’t mad. He didn’t know how he felt.

“ What, Christine? Why the hell do you care? You never care about stuff like that.” Turning to his side, Dwayne leaned back on the cold stone and looked up at the stars. All they ever saw were stars.

Paul cleared his throat again. Why’d he have to say that he didn’t want to talk about her? Why’d he have to bring it all up? Of course, he’d remembered her name. It was a name he’d buried and found resurfaced over and over again. It was the name on all the headlines because her parents had enough influence to make it be. It was the face on all the campaigns to “Find the Killer”, a slogan that had become personalized to “Find her Killer.” Since their little exploit at the school, everything had changed in Santa Carla, and Paul didn’t want to admit he was responsible. He was her killer.

“ Because it’s all my fault.” Paul choked out at last. Apparently, the weed had not only made him more relaxed but a little more brave as well. Mostly though, he couldn’t take it anymore. Everywhere he looked, her poster was right around the corner. He just wanted things to go back to how they were before.

“ For what? For killing her,” Dwayne was sitting up, a half-smile on his lips. “ If that’s what you’re worried about then, boy do I have news for you.”

Paul shook his head, normally he’d be with the joke too, but this was different. Yes, he’d killed before. No, she wasn’t the first, but she didn’t seem to want to stay dead either.  

“ No. For… starting all of this. For making David go away and dragging this town to hell and,” He wanted to scream. Dwayne was right, since when did he care? The answer struck him between the eyes. Since no one else did anymore either.

“ You didn’t make David go away,” Dwayne rested his head back down. “ You didn’t make Marko go away either, they did that all on their own. Making the town go to hell, well yeah, you kinda did that. But, you were always a bit of an- an anarchist.” He was really getting their money’s worth on that gift.

Paul pulled his legs to his chest. __I was always an anarchist. I loved the chaos and running and making people bend over backwards for me. It was one of the few things I was good at. But, now. Now there’s no one to tell me no. All the damage has already been done. Maybe I’m more of an anarchist in theory.__

It took Paul a while before he could settle on his answer, it was something he had to mull over and digest before spitting out. Dwayne understood that though, he was never one to force a response. Marko wasn’t either, though by the time you gave it, he’d forgotten the question. Dwayne had turned out be a pretty good friend after all.

The teens had left their bonfire, darkened now as the charcoal remains washed into the tide. All that was left for light were the streetlamps and soft neon of nearby stores. Everything was real quiet now.

“ Maybe I don’t have to be.” That was the answer that broke the silence and even left the crashing waves hushed. Paul was surprised at it. Dwayne seemed less so. This was the way it was between them now. Allowing their friend’s to live their lives and them their own.

This was their life, until David not only broke the silence, but completely obliterated it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 7

Catch a Falling Star

The cave was a mess when Paul and Dwayne came back to it. It was a couple hours till dawn, the pitch black of the sky gradually lightening to a velvety blue. The stars were bright and the moon was full, shining into the mouth of earthern room like an uninvited guest. Paul noticed first, of all the things torn apart in the room, that his rock box had been smashed in on one side.

The second thing that neither one of them could mistake was the sound of yelling. Two voices that had once belonged to the quiet couple reverberated throughout the tunnels. Marko and his companion were nowhere in sight.

“ After everything I’ve done for you! You ungrateful little-” That was David, unmistakably. His yell was followed by another sound of something of crashing.

“ David, please stop! Listen to yourself!” And there was Star. Even when she shouted, fear rumbling through her voice, she sounded as calm as a preacher giving their Sunday sermon.

Paul and Dwayne exchanged equally frightened looks. The couple sounded as if their argument had been moving through the cave, their voices getting louder and clearer with each word. Paul could hear feet plodding against the dusty, dirt floor, coming from just above the elevator shaft. __What happened while we were out?__

Star crashed down onto the top of the elevator, the metal ringing with her fall. She rolled quickly off the top, making sure her long skirt wouldn’t get snagged on the iron bars, and landed squarely at the other end of the lobby. Her breathing was forced and uneven, like she was trying desperately to get in a breath but didn’t know how. The second her eyes met Paul and Dwayne, she froze in her spot. It was clear now that she was covered in bruises from head to toe.

David was hot on her heels, making his way down the shaft and into the lobby just as she had, but with a good degree more coordination. He caught her by the arm, attempting to get in her face. He was in full vamp mode and clearly hadn’t noticed the other boys.

“ David, what the hell is going on here?!” Dwayne sounded like a leader when he said that, pacing his ways towards David with metered, heavy steps. Paul had scooped up the remains of the boombox in his arms, matching Dwayne’s walk at a distance. He normally would have been the first one to talk, but he was at a loss.

David stared up at the boys with breakneck speed, his face dropping from sinister to shocked. His hand let go of Star’s arm, and the girl regained enough stamina to run. Unbeknownst to him, she ran straight towards Paul, nearly tripping and falling at his feet. She staggered until she stood shakily behind him, hands on his shoulders for protection. She was sobbing.

“ He tried to kill me. He-he’s a monster,” Star looked wildly into Paul’s eyes, pleading for an answer. “ Did you know he’s a monster?”

Paul took a step back from the girl, trying to shake her off his shoulders, but she matched his movements. The blonde held his mouth open, too stoned and confused to utter anything more than a long string of __uhh’s__. The loose bolts on his music player jangled loudly in his hands.  

“ Oh real cute, Star. Hide behind your knight in shining armor and lie. I can’t kill you, because you can’t die. Why can’t you get that through your stupid head, ” David had regained his composure now, his face slowly softening back to more human features. “ And I’m a monster, really? You’re a monster too, bitch. In fact, you might want to also check those two while you’re on the hunt. ”

David and the other three now faced each other, as he pointed to Paul and Dwayne. Star removed her hands from the blonde speedily, and took a big step back. __C’mon, David. Why’d you have to drag us into this too?__  

“ You’ve gotta be kidding me. Is that what all this is about,” Dwayne groaned deeply, taking a step closer to David. “ Let me guess, you didn’t tell Star what she was getting into when she was turned, did you? And you,” Dwayne pointed at Star with a cigarette he’d had tucked behind his ear. “ You want to go back home to mommy and daddy and now you can’t. Is that right, princess?”

Star turned her face to the ground and mumbled something no one could here. David grinned at the dark-haired boy, nodding sagely. “ Ever the prophet, aren’t we, Dwayne? You’re right, I gave this brat the world and she spit it in my face. She even tried to run away, and when I established some… boundaries, she had the gall to fight back,” David spoke with a silver tongue that dripped arsenic and eloquence, each word drilling into Star like a wasp sting. “ And, you boys know what happens when we fight back?”

Dwayne had his arms crossed, pinching the bridge of his nose and keeping his eyes shut tight. Paul’s mouth still hung open like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

“ But, who broke my rock box?” It was the most Paul could manage at the moment, still holding the shattered corpse of the boom box as if it were a child.

“ I did, I threw at David,” Star ran the back of her hand under her nose, sniffing and choking back the last of her tears. “ And, I’m not sorry for any of it. David you lied to me and even if it wasn’t perfect, I want my old world back. But in the meantime, I just don’t want this one to be a living hell.”

“ It’s too late for that,” Dwayne shook his head. “ You’re one of us now and that comes with all the strings attached. Don’t fight David on this or any one of us, but David, seriously dude, you don’t have to be such a douchebag about this.”

David snorted and turned his back on Dwayne, slowly walking away from the group and back to the elevator shaft. “ She has to learn, and I’m not going to put with any tantrums. You’re the babysitter remember, Dwayne?” David glared back at them one last time before climbing up into the tunnels. “ I love you Star, never forget that, but you’re never going to leave. Also, you might want to thank these two for coming back when they did, they just saved you from a real world of hurt.”

Dwayne was audibly grinding his teeth, as their leader vanished from sight. As soon as David was gone, he screamed. Dwayne screamed low and full of anger, kicking over the already clawed up pieces of some surfboard they’d had up for decoration. He held his hands over his eyes and stooped over.

“ One of you, clean this mess up,” Dwayne exhaled loudly, looking around the room but not at the others. “Star, apologize to Paul for breaking his boombox. I’m going to bed.”

He chose one of the tunnels opposite from where David had gone, staggering into the darkness and leaving the two both emotionally and physically alone. Paul couldn’t feel anything, a numbness both from sleep and true exhaustion soaking into his core. He didn’t even want to move.

“ I’ll clean this up. I’m sorry about your boombox, Paul.” Star spoke without eye contact, mumbling softly.

Paul turned to look at her. She looked truly looked like a star right then, a bundle of fabrics and sequins that seemed to catch light no matter the time of day. An angel in a dumpster, surrounded by wreckage and decay and sadness. For once, Paul wasn’t even mad that she’d broke something of his.

“ Hey, no worries.” He sat the boombox down, finally feeling its weight in his hands. “ I mean, David was being a total dick, right?”

Paul was grinning, a real and genuine grin. Star caught his face. She squeezed her shoulders, embracing herself and trying to smile back.

“ Yeah, yeah he was,” Her smile faded. “ You’re not really a monster, are you? Not like he is?”

That hit Paul, making it feel like he’d just got the wind knocked out of him. She was possibly the first girl he’d ever met that didn’t immediately see him as a monster, or was a monster herself. She seemed nice. __Did David really beat the shit out of this chick?__

He bit his lip. “ I mean, I guess I am,” His voice trailed off. “ But, I’m not like David is. Never in a million years. I mean, I kill people but, I don’t like-”

He didn’t know what he was saying. Last he’d checked, he was exactly like David. A killer. An opinionated douchebag. An anarchist. __But only in theory.__

Star shook her head. “ Needing to eat doesn’t make you a monster. David told me about what he does, and I guess what you guys must do too. How you need to kill to survive. That was part of why I freaked… but trying to live doesn’t make you a monster. Turning against someone you love does.”

Paul didn’t know what to say. She was right. She was right on every little thought that had crossed his mind but he’d never had the guts to say it. By her definition, David was a monster. He thought about Dwayne and felt sick. __You turned your back on him, David. At least Marko wouldn’t go against Maria.__ Paul felt his face flush. By Star’s definition, was Marko a monster too for leaving him?

“ Well, that’s oddly reassuring,” He rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers pressing into his skin. “ I’m Paul by the way, but I guess you already knew that.”

That got Star to smile again. “ I’m Star, but you already knew that too. It’s nice to meet you officially, Paul.”

Paul reached out and the pair shook hands awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you too, Star,” He tossed his head to the side, looking around the mess of the lobby. They probably still had a good hour before sunrise. “ Do you want some help cleaning up?” 

“ I’d love it, but you don’t have to.” Star picked at the mess littering the floor, looking as if she were going to start a collection of shattered fragments of plastic and metal.

“ No, I think I should. I just had an idea, and we need the cave clean for it,” Paul smirked at the girl, her face full of questions. “ You mentioned something about running away, right?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 8

Material Girl

Paul was grateful for Marko for the first time in a while. If it wasn’t for the short blonde and more aptly, his girlfriend, Paul would’ve never learned how easy it was to sneak out just at the break of sunset. He’d learned the perfect timing, method and escape route to not wake a soul or get burned alive by the late evening sun. Fortunately, Star was still only half-turned, so the time of day wasn’t a problem for her. The pair had snuck out before anyone was made the wiser and had found their way into the town.

Paul had made it a point to keep it a surprise where he was taking Star, telling her to just follow his lead. She seemed to trust him, which payed off when they arrived at Paul’s ideal “hidden” location. The Santa Carla Mall looked especially nice that evening, with the setting sun radiating hues of orange and yellow lowly behind it. Paul realized he’d never once been there when it was open. This made it the perfect destination.

They made their way quickly through the parking lot, heads down to avoid any of the indirect light, and pushed their way through one of the entrances. Star realized where they were, their eyes readjusting to the somehow less harsh indoor lighting of the building. The corners of her mouth fluttered into a smile.

“ Now, how’s this for a getaway? David will never find you here and I hear they’re open late in summertime.” Paul beamed at Star from behind the glare of his aviator sunglasses. They were at the front of the mall, and were now close to a directory that Paul had decided to lean against as he spoke. The room bustled with people.

She giggled, for the first time since Paul had met her, a real giggle. “ What made you think to come here? I think the last time I was here was…” Her voice trailed off again into wistfulness, though Paul was quick to pull her back.

“ Because David hates this place, the only time we ever came was after close,” Paul snapped off his sunglasses and winked at the girl. “Hell, you know the only reason he went to the Boardwalk was because of you. He’s not big on crowded places.”  

 Star grimaced and again let out a small laugh. “ Yeah, I suppose he’s not really the best with people. Well, maybe that’s an understatement.”

Paul nodded knowingly and glanced back down at the directory. “ So, where to first? I have a few spare bucks I lifted from- well you know. My point is we could probably buy something if we wanted. If not though, I’m still pretty good at getting what I like for nothing.”

Star tugged at the loose curls in her hair, plodding a pair of old flip flops against the tiled floor as she stood. “ Wherever you like I- thank you for being so nice to me.”

“ Orange Julius it is then, and don’t sweat it. I mean, David’s been keeping you on a pretty tight leash and you don’t look like any fucking dog to me.”

Paul thought it was just his luck that the Orange Julius happened to be on the second level of the mall. Mostly he’d just picked it out because of the name, he couldn’t even remember what one tasted like. After they’d ordered and sat down, a familiar store front caught his eye. Some darkened formal store stood to his left, one that looked as if security had really cracked down on. He tapped the sunglasses on his head and smiled. __No more slide locks__.

Star cradled a frothy beverage in her hands, condensation dripping from the drink and onto her skin. Paul vaguely recalled the sensation.

“ Did you know that when I first met David, he told me about all of you? He always said you were the worst, an absolute savage. I didn’t know what that meant at the time but, I have a clue now,” Star sipped at the orange liquid, reaffirming to Paul that her transformation was really only partial. “ And, I think he lied.”

Paul crossed his arms on the table and lowered his chin. He sniffed at the air but smelled nothing more than a room full of bodies. “ He didn’t. I wish he had, mostly because I like proving him wrong, but he didn’t. I guess a lot’s changed since you got here.”

Star nearly spilled the drink putting it back on the table, and she stared over at Paul wide-eyed. He expected her to react to that, to scream or recoil like any other normal girl would have, instead she shrugged. “ I guess a lot has changed then. Now you’re nothing like what he described.”

Paul snorted. __Losing your best friend will do that__. It wasn’t just that though, and he knew it. It was so much more. He knew he’d already passed __her__ photo a dozen times even just in the mall. __Miss Christine, you’re like a dream, your dad’s sure good at marketing__.  

“ Hey can I tell you a secret?” Star’s eyes pierced right through Paul’s thoughts, snatching his attention like a thief.

“ Oh my God, you’re not pregnant are you?” Paul chuckled, resting his head in his hands.

Star put her hands over her face and laughed, blushing all over. And there it was, Paul had really gotten her to laugh. A full on belly laugh. She’d needed one of those.

“ Dear God no, Paul! Why the hell would you even-” She couldn’t finish her sentence, choking down the rest of her giggles with a deep breath. “ That’s really not what I was going to say.”

“ Oh okay, well glad we got that out of the way. Because, you know-” Star interrupted before Paul could finish.

“ Shutup, you’re such a dork!” Star smiled at him, still laughing quietly and holding up a hand for him to stop. She caught her breath yet again, and shook her head with a grin. “ I just wanted to say thank you, really. This was very nice.”

Paul leaned back in his chair, re-positioning his feet on the table. “ You already said thank you and it’s no big deal. I wanted to play hooky too.”

“ Yeah yeah, okay. It’s just, when I first met David, I thought he was going to solve all my problems. But, he only made them worse, and then I was worried because I thought that that was it,” Star sighed, looking away as she spoke. “ I was worried there were no nice people left.”

Paul waved his hands, his rings clicking against each other as his fingers moved. “ Don’t even start that, please. There’s plenty of ‘nice’ people, trust me, I’ve killed lots of them. Besides, what problems would a girl like you have that David could solve?”

It had probably come out more harsh than he’d intended, but it was honest. He liked Star, she was a real “nice” girl, but he could do without the melodrama. He’d had enough of that already. In his mind, they’d come to have a good time and get away, there was no need for all the other emotions.  

Star’s eyes burned lightly with tears, and Paul could tell she was trying to hold them in. She brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand, and spoke ever more calmly. “ My parents kicked me out of the house last spring, not long after that prom. When I met David, I thought that he’d be my ticket away from it all. I guess that was naive,” Her voice came like a chilling whisper and to Paul it seemed as though he were no longer talking to a person, but a ghost. “ If you’re the Lost Boys then this Neverland sucks.”

She was right. Her skin had healed some since the night before due to her being turned, but little parts of it were still deeply colored purple. He had never asked if David had done or it she’d just ran into too many things while running. Paul tried to push the question out of his head. __We’re here to have a good time__ , Paul reminded himself, quick to brush his more serious thoughts aside. It was hard for him though, because despite everything he believed he cared about her. The real way people do, not just because of what was under her skirt, and that was hard for him. He’d never cared about a girl before that he wasn’t attracted to.

After he’d managed to process what she’d said, that’s when his emotions came out too. He couldn’t sweep his thoughts under the rug any longer. Anger crept up his lungs and made his face sting. Paul was furious, and it wasn’t just aimless aggression either. If everything Star had said was true, then Paul was nearly sure he’d kill David. David had manipulated him before, but this was different. This was a girl who’d deserved better and gotten the worst of everything thrown back up in her face. A year ago it wouldn’t have mattered to Paul, hell a couple months ago it wouldn’t have. He really ought to have thanked Christine and the guilt she’d seared into his conscience for changing all that. __And, I’d like to thank the academy and the cheerleader I never got to fuck__.

Before Paul could respond to Star, something else caught both their attention. A police officer, a stack of papers, and a bulletin board. There were a decent amount of bulletin boards throughout the Santa Carla mall, and an even more substantial amount of missing posters that adorned them. This looked strange though, and as Paul and Star moved closer to investigate, they could see why. A kid had gone missing.

The officer moved quickly and uniformly, tacking up the papers and walking from board to board. Paul and Star didn’t even get a chance to see his face, though they saw the sign clear as day. “ Missing - Laddie Thompson - DOB 6/20/76…” and a myriad other information was printed on the paper, along with a grainy, black and white photograph. Star gasped loudly.

“ Laddie,” She swallowed while stepping to the side and grabbing Paul’s arm, forcing him to meet her eyes. “ I knew Laddie, I used to babysit him when his parents were out- you don’t think-”

She couldn’t finish. Both of them had a clear, if not morbid, grasp of what was happening and they needed to leave. Paul instinctively held onto where Star was clutching his arm, and the two moved as a pair away from the bulletin board.

“ If David did anything to that kid, for your sake, I think I might kill him.” Paul whispered to Star as they walked back the way they came, towards the entrance to the mall.

“ Sorry for going off about my life earlier.” Star said quietly. Paul just grunted and nodded his head. __It’s cool. Everything’s cool.__   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 9

Heroes and Villains

Everything was not cool. Or at least, it felt that way. The cave itself and those residing in it seemed very calm when Paul and Star returned, but something was definitely off. David reclined in one of the lobby’s old chairs, a book open on his lap. Marko and Maria were there too, both leaning against one another on a sofa. Lastly, there was Dwayne, with what looked like a child sleeping against his shoulder. There was a dead silence as the boy and girl stepped foot into the room.

Paul couldn’t figure out how long they’d been gone for, only that it was very dark when they returned. Time was one concept he couldn’t wrap his head around, but maybe that just came with the territory of vampirism. Their slow footsteps caught David’s attention, as he shut the book he’d been reading and looked up at them.

“ The runaways return. We’ve been waiting for you two.” David said, standing from his seat.

“ David look, before you start into one of your raving lectures, Star and I just-” Paul couldn’t finish his sentence before David interrupted.

“ Spare me your excuses please, because the truth is, I don’t care. We have a bigger problem on our hands.” David looked around the room at the group he’d assembled and motioned for Star and Paul to take a seat. Paul already knew where this was going. __You probably wondered why I gathered you all here? Please enlighten us, Poirot.__

As Star sat, Paul continued to stand. What Star had told him had left him heated, and he wanted justice. It wasn’t the first time he’d stood up to David, and it wouldn’t be the last. Paul couldn’t keep his mind off the kid next to Dwayne.

“ We saw your handiwork while we were out, David.” Paul began, standing next to the chandelier at the room’s center. “ Kidnapping kids, really? Or was it hurting women that we drew the line at? I can’t remember.”

David moved till he was squarely in front of Paul, placing a hand on his neck. He opened his mouth to speak, but Paul heard Marko’s voice instead.

“ It’s not his fault, dude.” Paul turned around to see the other blonde stand up to speak. “ Like, not entirely anyway. I don’t really get the part you said about women, but the kid thing was us.”

Paul snorted, shaking David’s hand from his neck and rotating to face Marko. Maria took the boy’s hand and stood by his side, typical. __This group has really gone to hell.__  

 “ What Marko’s trying to say is no one’s really all fault. It just got a little complicated. If the police find us we’re at fault but they’ll never trace us to the bodies so-” Maria shrugged.

“ Bodies? What the hell did you guys do? Can someone just make sense please!” Paul yelled, tugging his hair back. Dwayne grunted and hushed him from across the room, pointing to the sleeping child at his side.  

“ I asked Marko and Maria to track down Laddie Thompson and his family.” David put his hand on Paul’s shoulder, speaking in his usual soft and slow modulation. Paul again batted the hand away angrily.

“ What?!” Star boomed, approaching David. Paul wondered if his confidence hadn’t rubbed off a little on her. This was no longer the scared, hurt girl he’d seen just a day earlier. This was a lioness ready to pounce. Paul was proud of her.

David sighed. “ I wanted to try and understand your past so I had those two do a little investigating. You said you missed your old life so I thought I’d look into it. They were just going to quietly abduct the kid so I could convince you to stay, but then things got… out of hand.”

 _ _You did what? YOU did what?__ Paul’s thoughts were spinning out of control. He wanted a joint. He wanted justice. He couldn’t tell which was more immediately pressing, only that David would be a skeleton within the hour if he got a hold of him.  

“ I can’t believe you!” Star exclaimed, Dwayne hushing her in another attempt to try and keep everyone from raising their voices. She spoke again, lowering her volume. “ You hurt me, you lie to me, and now you’re stooping so low as to involve some innocent kid I once babysat for? To do what, David, manipulate me more?”

“ Oh! That’s what Paul meant about hurting women.” Marko chimed in. “ That’s… actually really ironic.”

Maria rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. “ Before this gets any worse, let me just explain what actually happened. We went to the house, __I__ was the one that went in pretending I was taking a survey for the video store-”

“ You pretended you were taking a survey from Max’s store to literally kidnap a kid? Does he know that? That’s like all kinds of illegal.” Paul interrupted. Since when had he become the voice of reason?  
“ Let me finish!” Maria barked back. “ So, I go inside and that’s when I realize… these people have like __serious problems__.”

“ So, you fit right in!” Paul retorted.

“ Shutup, Paul!” The leader and the couple resounded in unison.  

Marko offered his perspective once more. “ No man, that’s when we realized that-”

A voice finished Marko’s sentence. “ I didn’t want to stay there.” It was a voice Paul had never heard before. It was youthful and sweet, and he never doubted for one second where it came from. The dark-haired boy with a greasy face and old clothes had finally woken up.

If the missing posters Paul had seen at the mall were accurate, Laddie Thompson was only nine years old. His hair was shoulder-length and unkempt, matching many of the other boy’s looks already. He was a child, truly just a little kid, and something had clearly gone horribly wrong.

“ They saved me from bad people.” The boy said, his head lolling back against Dwayne’s chest. “ Bad.” He repeated for extra emphasis.

Dwayne sighed and smoothed the boy’s hair with his hand. He didn’t say a word and maybe he didn’t need to. If the other night was any indication, Paul figured Dwayne was still pretty upset with David. He wondered if the introduction of Laddie Thompson had made the dark-haired boy hate their leader even more. Paul wasn’t sure if it was possible to dislike David any more than he did already.

Again, there was this child. A kid among monsters who saw them as angels. The worst of them had saved him from something bad, and just by looking at the kid, Paul could tell what. Abuse. More abuse. __David really knows how to pick em.__   

“ That’s right. The kiddo’s right.” Marko pulled at the back of his hair, something so common Paul swore he’d seen him do it millions of times.

It was clear Star couldn’t take it anymore. She buried her face in her hands, low sobs escaping her throat. Fumbling with that soft mess of fabrics she wore as a skirt, the girl almost tripped darting from the cave and into the night. No one went after her. Paul knew she needed time. Hell, he needed time.

“ When did all this happen?” Paul moved closer to the couple and David, ensuring the kid and his new-found guardian were out of ear-shot.

Maria crossed her arms. “ A couple days ago. After we got rid of…” She quieted her voice to a whisper. “ His parents. We looked after him for a little bit, and the other night, we brought him here. It wasn’t good though, Paul. The kid was in such an awful state when we found him, he didn’t have long left.”

Marko nodded. “ We had to do something and once we saw the bottle with David’s blood in it-” He couldn’t finish, he simply looked to their leader for an answer. _ _Shit no. You didn’t.__  They’d done it to Star and now they’d done it again. Paul hated this, and he hated that he knew what they were going to say.

Before David could say a word, Paul shook his head. “ Save it. I don’t want to hear about how you turned another random person, let alone a kid. Don’t try to save this by saying you had some sort of moral obligation, because I know none of you do.”

Paul’s mind shot back to his friend. The man with ragged black hair, a glare of daggers, and a heart of gold. Now he had to pick up yet another one of David’s messes. __Forever the babysitter.__   _ _You deserve better, Dwayne.__

Paul turned his back on the three, walking away from the chandelier and searching the room. He didn’t know where his stuff had gone, Star had probably moved it when they cleaned the cave last night. The blonde’s eyes fell on a half-opened pack of cigarettes, probably belonging to David. __That’ll do.__

Bringing the smoke to his lips, Paul slid through his pockets before happening on his lighter. With the cigarette finally lit, he took a long drag and then once again faced the room.

“ When did you start smoking, dude?” Marko crossed his arms the same way Maria had, though likely without meaning to.

Paul grinned and closed his eyes. “ Two months ago. Where have you been?” The smoke roared out of the blonde’s nostrils and it seemed all too fitting.

David paced his way back to the seat he’d been sitting in when Paul had first arrived. “ Before we all kill each other like a pack of werewolves, can I quantify what I was saying earlier?”

“ Do you need an invitation?” Paul chided, exhaling another breath of smoke. He was smoking in a dangerously fast rhythm, though he didn’t really care. Cigarettes couldn’t kill a corpse.

David smiled. “ I thought vampires always did, though this time I’m asking not demanding.”

“ You’re always demanding,” Paul chuckled. “ But, please. We’ve done so much talking, might as well be cordial about it.” Cordial. He’d learned that word from Dwayne.

“ It wasn’t my idea to turn the kid. You can thank the big guy for that one.” David spoke with one hand propping up his head and another pointing to Dwayne and Laddie who seemed to have had fallen asleep again. “ As for what I said earlier, it’s true. I wanted to learn about Star and I didn’t want her to leave. I realize now my methods were a bit unorthodox.”

“ You think!” Paul shouted, quickly making sure to lower his voice again so as not to wake up the two sleepers. “ But, David. If you wanted her to stay __so bad__ then why the hell did you beat the actual shit out of her?”

That caught the couple’s attention. “ Brooooo.” Marko snapped, his eye’s fixed on their leader. In his vocabulary that meant something along the lines of “uncool”. Ironic for a pair of serial killers.

David laughed. He laughed so hard he had to suppress it into a pair of gloved hands. “ She didn’t tell you, did she? She tried to kill me first.” He breathed deeply and laughed once more. “ Once you mention the word ‘vampire’, everyone suddenly becomes an expert on how to murder you. Of course, it wasn’t till later that she realized what could kill me could kill her too. I was also trying to establish boundaries. Boundaries you tore wide open by taking her out with you.”

Paul shook his head, David made him sick. “ To be fair, I’d probably have tried to kill you too.”

His comment made David stop laughing. “ Fine, whatever. But, what do you expect me to do? Apologize? As far as I’m concerned, we’re even.”

That caught Paul. It touched something inside him that he wasn’t sure had ever existed before. Forgiveness. The blonde grinned once again and surveyed his audience.

“ Yeah, I think I do expect you to apologize.” His statement seemed to hush the already quiet space. He could hear Dwayne snoring and the child breathing deeply. “ Don’t worry though, David. I’ll go first.”

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 10

Surrender

Christine. She was the girl on all the signs. She was the nebulous cheerleader with the saccharine smile. She was the one who died with a broken arm and dissection knives bulging from her skin like telephone poles. She was loved and her parent’s deserved an apology. Paul’s feet felt lighter as he ran.

There was of course, only so much he could say. He couldn’t waltz into their home and declare himself the killer, that wouldn’t be good. This didn’t mean that he couldn’t make things better though. No one needed an explanation for a gift.

Paul raced from the cave, away from the group of villains he called family, and into the night. He didn’t bother with his motorcycle, figuring that even the simple task of starting the thing would detract from his current mission. Paul wondered if he even touched the ground, soaring with the freedom that comes with purpose. He wished he’d had a chance to thank Star properly, or Dwayne, or even David. They’d all taught him things he’d never dreamed that he could learn. Paul never thought he could be more than an anarchist.  

Even with the moon high in the night sky, the city of Santa Carla refused to rest. It never slept in the summer, and the energy of life and people swarmed around Paul. He felt it too, that sense of living and acceptance. Teenagers, families, vacationing tourists, even other gangs of motorcyclists; they all existed on the Boardwalk. Paul recognized some of the guys with bikes and knew that, under regular circumstances, they were part of some rival gang to his own. He was supposed to hate them and couldn’t have even been bothered to do that. This was the difference between existing and seeing, Paul supposed. For the first time that he could remember, he really saw the Boardwalk that night.

He saw the crowds, drowned in the noise of creaking amusement park rides and the laughs of carnies, and bathed in the scent of cotton candy and buttered popcorn. He usually just smelled bodies, cold and unfeeling like a bloodhound. Paul had missed the smells of food and of heat, in some ways, maybe he just missed being alive. Even in the peace he found in the discordant burble of people that surrounded him, now was still not the time to stop. He’d decided he’d needed flowers.   

Flowers were what you got for girls on dates, but it seemed appropriate that they were also the staple decoration in funerals. There were always so many little shops on the Boardwalk, each vendor desperate and happy for a quick sale. There was a real simplicity to it all. Food carts, t-shirt stalls, and yes, even flower carts all patterned the docks like freckles on skin. Everything one needed could be found on the Boardwalk. __For a price__.

There was a girl with a whole display of flowers. A myriad of exotic and brightly colored bouquets of plants that Paul was sure he’d never know the name to. The girl running the stand was cute, real cute, but that didn’t matter to Paul anymore either. Not in that moment. Girls in his mind had either become like Star or Maria and frankly, he’d have never chosen either. His eye’s surveyed the display and settled on a price tag. __Since when were flowers this expensive?__

The vendor smiled at him, but the blonde didn’t meet her gaze. He was buying flowers for a girl he’d killed. Scratch that. He was buying flowers for her parents. That wasn’t right either, everything was too expensive. Paul finally returned the girl’s smile. He wasn’t going to __buy__  anything.

Laddie Thompson was wrong about their group, Paul decided. None of them were angels. Though maybe, they could be better than monsters. Snatching the flowers when the girl wasn’t looking was easy, and even easier was finding a means of locating Christine’s family, but no one had ever taught Paul how hard saying sorry was. They’d only taught him that it was a possibility, which alone was new and foreign territory. __Dwayne would know some great words to use other than sorry.__

It was true too, for the man who had never spoken, Paul learned so much from the quiet articulation of his new friend. He’d seen the value of keeping to oneself and the art of actions over words. Star had shown him the opposite, and he was glad for her hard-won confidence. Paul hoped that when she’d ran away from them that she ran so far that she could never look back. He was sure she’d return though, but in the calm of the night hope didn’t seem like such a fallacy.    

The flowers were damp and burned his hands with the water seeping from their stems. He’d chosen ones that were a bright yellow, and even if he was unsure of what they were, they still seemed nice to him. As Paul made his way from the noise of the Boardwalk and the roads of wooden boards turned to cobblestone and pavement, everything grew quiet. He’d remembered the way from earlier that spring, even some of the houses along the path. Christine’s neighborhood was just as wealthy and elegant as it had appeared the night she’d left with him to go to prom.

No one was out in these suburbs during the night, and all the roads and sidewalks were clear of cars and people. Streetlights hung like ghosts, illuminating the concrete pathways in small sections. Anything outside of their immediate light was contrasted by shadows so deep they created an illusion of voided space. To Paul, that night the world was made solely of streetlamp brightness, its opposing darkness, and the tiny burns that water left on his palms.

The house he’d been looking for sat across the street and just to his left. Even though time had passed, he still recognized it. The lawn was immaculate, the hedges were trimmed, and flowers of the same color as he held patterned window boxes. While the lights on their home were turned off, Paul doubted Christine’s parents were asleep. People don’t sleep so easy after losing someone they love.

Paul crept across the street and up to the front porch of the home, mindful to not make a sound. There was a large window to the right of the door that looked into a dining room and kitchen. Paul remembered sitting at their table, dodging their questions and attempting to feel up under Christine’s skirt. They had a pitcher of water on the table, now he couldn’t even remember what the liquid tasted like. Paul’s hands itched with sores and he sat down the flowers in front of the door. The bouquet wasn’t enough though, there was one last thing it needed.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Paul’s hand touched what felt like a crumpled receipt. He brought out the mess and began unfolding it. It was the photograph he’d taken with Christine on prom night. No matter how creased or worn, there had been a reason he’d been holding onto it for so long. He needed to let go of what he’d done.

Paul turned it over many times in his hand and smiled before finally settling on the back. Holding the photo against the door, he began writing on the other side of the picture. It had turned out that flowers weren’t the only thing that was easy to lift, markers were too. Nobody seemed to really care when something small went missing. Paul sighed, thinking back to the little boy sleeping on Dwayne’s shoulder. An officer had tacked up his missing poster, no loved ones were there to fear for his disappearance, and only him and Star had seemed to notice the picture in the first place. __Small things like Laddie, big things like Christine.__ Paul really did want David to apologize to Star.

The note was simple but it did the trick, and Paul felt content leaving it next to the flowers. Perhaps in a minute he’d ring the doorbell and leave, or maybe he’d just leave the bouquet overnight and hope Christine’s parents saw it in the morning. Either way, Paul finally felt good. He didn’t have to worry about the guilt anymore, or having to hide his thoughts behind the noise of a loud movie. Because, as Paul walked away from the house and back into night, he was sure that the simple “I’m sorry” he had written would be more than sufficient.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter: 11

Two of Us

Paul walked like someone who had done their time and come out a free man. He no longer thought about biting his nails or searching in his pockets in the hope he had some smokes. It was a few hours till dawn and Paul felt liked he’d just woken up. The world was silent and the air was soft around him as he walked home.

By now, the Boardwalk had been abandoned for the night and Paul spied workers cleaning up the day’s mess just behind a barred entrance. He’d normally have taken a shortcut through the Boardwalk, maybe picking off a few of the workers on his way, but tonight was different. Paul decided to take the long way around, to him it was the perfect evening for a stroll.

No more civilians dotted the beaches and cobblestone paths of the seaside beach town. The wind blew lightly across the sand and seemed to amplify the sound of the waves to Paul’s ears. He sighed deeply. Neon signs still burned from the face of storefronts hours since closed. Nothing moved in the night except Paul, and Paul was alone. Until, he saw something else move as well.

It wasn’t jumpy like something running, yet it wasn’t so still it could be ignored. Another sigh matched Paul’s from across the street in an empty gas station parking lot. Marko was sitting alone on the curb outside the convenience store, his arms crossed over his stomach. His signature jacket and gloves were folded neatly in his lap as he hunched over them wearing only a simple cropped tank. __It looks more fitting on you than Maria__. Paul smirked, walking from the road to the paved blackness of the lot.   

“ No loitering.” Paul called out, finishing his stride and sitting down at Marko’s side. “ Whatcha doing here so late at night, young man?”

Paul grinned while Marko scrunched up his nose with a frown. He looked upset and stared at his feet. Everyone seemed upset to Paul lately, everyone but him.

“ Not much I guess,” Marko brought his hands up to his shoulders as if he were trying to protect himself from the cold he couldn’t feel. “ You’re out early, bro. Or late. Or whatever.”

Paul readjusted how he sat, stretching his legs straight out in front of him and placing his hands by sides. “ Yeah, I had some shit I had to do,” Paul looked up dreamily into the night sky. “ I’m surprised your plus one isn’t here. This has to be the first time I’ve seen you without her in- well, a really long time.”

Marko dropped his hands into the jacket that sat on his lap and shot a glance towards Paul. “ You have no idea. I…” Marko paused, searching for the right words as he often did. “ I guess I kind of can’t stand her anymore.”

That caught Paul by surprise, snapping his vision from the stars and back to Marko. “ What? You guys are like inseparable though,” Paul snorted. “I mean, I would know.”

“ Yeah well, it was great for a while and we’ll probably work things out but, I don’t know,” Marko frowned again. “ Like don’t get me wrong, she was __good__ and the murder thing was nice too but…”

Paul’s ears pricked up with another smile. This was it, he’d been waiting for Marko to do this for a long time. He wanted his friend back. “ But?” Paul asked, almost sure of what he’d hear next.

“ She’s too much, dude. I needed a break, that’s why I came out here. Especially after all that shit with Laddie and David and Star. Everyone’s fucking insane.” Marko coughed after realizing what he’d just said. It wasn’t normal for him to be so direct. “ Oh, sorry for swearing.”

That sent Paul into gales of laughter. Marko even tried to say something more and Paul kept laughing. He laughed till his sides hurt and even still after Marko tried to make him stop. Paul had missed this. He had missed his spacey friend who had more problems than he’d would probably ever know about. He had missed his fellow idiot blonde and partner in crime who, up until recently, Paul had only seen express his thoughts by ignoring and evading them. Marko, just like him, had changed too.

“ Yeah,” Paul caught his breath and smiled. “ Yeah, I guess they are insane. How’s the kid doing by the way? Well, Dwayne and the kid?”

“ Good, I think.” Marko replied, going back to his usual routine of pulling at the singular curl of hair that hung down in his face. “ Laddie was still out when I left and Dwayne seemed to be making sure he was alright. He’s kinda nice like that. Him and David talked a little after you left.”

Paul nodded. He hoped that went well for Dwayne. Star wasn’t the only one David owed an apology to.

“ What about your girlfriend?” Paul responded.

“ She went home.” Marko grinned and let out a small laugh, as if he couldn’t believe his own words.

Paul shook his head. “ Wait, she has a home? Like with parents and stuff?” Paul couldn’t believe it either. Every time he’d seen Maria she’d either been working or with Marko, he just assumed her parents were out of the picture. Paul’s mind fought with the concept of Maria, fresh from the kill, getting blood for her monster boyfriend, and making sure to be home in time for dinner with her family. A chill danced up his spine.

“ As far as I know. They sound pretty nice too,” Marko stopped and sighed. “ It sorta makes you wonder what went wrong with her.”

Paul laughed. __You did Marko, you went wrong with her__. Maybe it was something he could say in time, but now it didn’t seem appropriate. It was true nonetheless though.

Marko ran his hand along the back of his neck and once again looked at the ground. “ Sorry for being gone, dude,” He looked back up at Paul, grinning. “ I made you so desperate you had to talk to Dwayne.”

Paul didn’t say a word, instead he stood up and quickly forced the other blonde into a headlock. Marko grinned, it was all to familiar. Paul began pounding on the side of Marko’s head, while the smaller one attempted to shake him off. Neither one of the boys could keep from laughing. There were no words to describe the camaraderie found in bruises earned in an empty gas station parking lot.

Paul was glad for that moment. He was grateful to have an instance where everything had returned to the normalcy he once took for granted. Paul no longer cared what the rest of the summer held, feeling secure in whatever insecurity was left. He didn’t think about the girl who ran away from David, and didn’t care if she decided to come back or not. Star would though, and he knew this, but somehow it didn’t matter.

Paul’s mind drifted away from their leader and the veritable conglomeration of his sins. The little boy that would now be considered one of them concerned Paul even less. Then there was Dwayne, the person he had somehow and for some reason become friends with. He too faded behind the punches and drone of neon. Paul had said his sorries and paid his dues, now he felt truly free. Whatever the summer had left for him, he could meet head on, because Paul had already met his worst nightmares.

Marko had now broken from Paul’s hold and proceeded to punch his face till it felt like there was no pretty left in it. It felt amazing. Paul swung back with another blow and it hit hard. The boys continued to laugh. Summer had just began.

Paul coughed after another strike hit his face. His mouth and nose oozed red that dripped onto the pavement.

“ Marko, I need to tell you something.” Paul managed at last, reeling back from the boy that now wore Paul’s blood on his knuckles. “ Dwayne was a great friend but…”

Marko was giggling hysterical, both him and Paul’s faces were deeply smashed in and bruised. Faces no girl would want to kiss. Faces no woman could love. It’d heal the next day of course, but in that moment they were ugly. They were finally ugly.

“ But, what?” Marko stammered, staggering closer to his friend.

Paul couldn’t keep it in any longer, a twisted smile spreading across his marred face. “ I think Dwayne’s gay.”

Marko slid the back of his hand over his mouth, trying to suppress another giggle. His knuckles slid red onto his cheek and now him and Paul were wearing equal amounts of each other’s blood. The boys continued to laugh.                 


End file.
